Beware as Wightlink Install ANPR Camera to squeeze the Drivers using Car Parking on Ryde Pier
Beware as Wightlink is changing its car parking arrangements at Ryde Pier on Tuesday 26th June, installing new ticket machines and offering more payment choices for customers. Many a parking charge notice will be a falling on the doormat. The current system involved a parking attended travelling over issuing fine. Pier users need to be aware that they risk a fine with new rules being brought in those travelling up the pier will only be allowed to stop for 20 minutes without paying to park. Four new ticket machines will replace the 3 old ones – each will take payment by cash or card. This means staff will refuse to issue tickets for car parking at Wightlink’s ticket office for stays of less than 24 hours, as customers now have alternative ways to pay. Customers can also register with RingGo and use a mobile phone app to make cashless payments for up to 3 days parking. One bonus is Car parking charges will not increase for the rest of 2018. But we wait with baited breath on the 2019 charges. Clive Tilley, Business Development Director for Wightlink has said: “We are responding to customer feedback by giving people travelling on the FastCats a choice of payment methods, whether they are crossing the Solent for a few hours or a weekend. “Islanders who want to get to Portsmouth on the most reliable cross-Solent service will also appreciate having the opportunity to use the cashless RingGo system”. One of the biggest changes to affect drivers is the reduction of the maximum free waiting time. From Tuesday 26th June 2018, drivers can wait on the Pier for up to 20 minutes for free to pick up or drop off friends and family (after paying the £1 pier toll to finance repairs and maintenance). Currently drivers can wait for an hour – this change has been made to free up more parking spaces for customers. Parking on the Pier is still free for motor cycles and bicycles. The new system will use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to improve car parking efficiency on the Pier. At Fishbourne, systems are unchanged but ANPR and the ticket machine will be included in part of the upgraded in the near future to squeeze the motorist.
